Seven sitios in Barangay Basak Pardo in Cebu City were submerged in water after the heavy downpour this morning, July 5. Barangay Councilor Jun Tumulak identified the seven affected sitios as Fatima, Living Water, Cogon, Katangkungan 1, Katangkungan 2, Tayud and Ubos Pundok. | Photo courtesy of Barangay Councilor Jun Tumulak via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) plans to focus on disaster prevention and mitigation in the barangays as part of Mayor Rama’s goal for his first 100 days.
Harold Alcontin, operation head of the CDRRMO, said their goal is to condition the barangays in intensive mitigating measures against disasters like fire, flood, landslide, or typhoon.
“Ang kada barangay dapat naay disaster risk reduction committee. Part ni sa 100 days ni Mayor Mike, nga ang CDRRMO mostrengthen sa mga barangays,” said Alcontin.
The CDRRMO said the city’s disaster response is fully equipped and regularly practiced because of the many disasters they respond to on a weekly basis.
With this, the office has found it necessary to prepare the barangays not only to respond to disasters but to prevent them as well.
The barangays must actively prevent disasters from happening by coordinating with the households, identifying hazard areas, and placing preventive measures in these areas.
Alcontin said that their department head, Racquel Arce, was instructed to institutionalize the emergency response in the city so that all responders would have the same language.
“Under the leadership ni Ma’am Arce, ang CDRRMO gimandoan sa pag institutionalize sa emergency response system aron usa ray language ang response apil na sa police, fire, traffic ug uban pa,” he said.
The CDRRMO finds that a systemized emergency response will make responding to the incidents more efficient when all agencies involved know exactly what kind of incident they are about to respond to.
After all, responding to incidents need the coordination of various agencies in the city government.
Finally, Alcontin said he has been instructed by the mayor to check the old CITOM lot in the city for the establishment of a command center that would be where the CDRRMO, traffic, and other agencies will take office.
“Gipacheck na ni mayor sa akoa ang lote sa katong karaang CITOM nga building kay gusto gyod siya madayon ang command center. As for the construction, kana ang wala pa ta kahibaw. Pero naa nay plano si Mayor Mike anang command center,” said Alcontin.
As the CDRRMO celebrates National Resiliency Month this July, the agency hopes that each city household will actively prepare for disasters especially if they live in vulnerable areas.
The CDRRMO also continues to recruit emergency responders in the city for those who are interested. Training is done weekly and those interested may register at the CDRRMO office at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC). /rcg
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